monkeys on typewriters

Over the past few days, there’s been a discussion (1) (2) (3) over the comparison of the role of scripting languages (Ruby, Python) and programming languages (C and family). Basically, it boils down to this: Ruby and Python and all the other mammals of the scripting language world have started to steal the dinosaur’s (that is, C’s) eggs.

Originally, everything was done in Assembly Language; first generation programming. Then C came along. This was the second generation. Now, we’re starting to talk about using stuff like Ruby to write full-scaled applications. Third generation.

…

Mike Elgan (Computerworld), writes:

The first-generation UI was the command line. Apple didn’t invent it, but used the concept for early Apple computers.

The second-generation UI is the icon-based, folder-driven, resizable overlapping windows interface that we use today. Again, Apple didn’t invent it—Xerox did. But Apple was the first major company to build it into a consumer product, the original Macintosh computer, which came out in 1984.

He then goes on to discuss the third generation UI; the one ushered in by the iPhone. (A real touch-screen.)

I spent half an hour trying to phrase this last sentence, but this is the best I could do: Coming soon to a computer near you.

Update 2007-02-21: John Gruber links to even more discussion about this topic. All good reads.

Subject: trying to contribute whatever professional skills he can to the Linux community.

and you’ll discover that this man isn’t just a smart-ass, but one really smart guy.I’d love to be involved, but I just find it hard to be motivated to do another screenplay right nowIdol begins this week!

And then it repeats. Twenty times.